"Auf Wiedersehen, Pet" (1983) TV series 1983-2004

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Creator:

Franc Roddam

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

11 November 1983 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

The adventures of a gang of British workmen abroad. Combines black and white humour with moments of drama...

Plot Keywords:

Wolverhampton | British | Working Man | Dusseldorf | Newcastle Upon Tyne

Awards:

4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Timothy Spall	...	Barry Taylor (40 episodes, 1983-2004)
Jimmy Nail	...	Oz Osborne (40 episodes, 1983-2004)
Tim Healy	...	Dennis Patterson (40 episodes, 1983-2004)
Kevin Whately	...	Neville Hope (40 episodes, 1983-2004)
Christopher Fairbank	...	Albert Moxey (39 episodes, 1983-2004)
Pat Roach	...	Bomber Busbridge (36 episodes, 1983-2004)
Gary Holton	...	Wayne Norris (26 episodes, 1983-1986)
Julia Tobin	...	Brenda Hope (22 episodes, 1983-2004)

Runtime:

50 min (26 episodes) (1983-1986) | 60 min (14 episodes) (2002-2004)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M (some episodes) | Finland:K-11 (2006) | Australia:PG | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Angel of the North, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, England, UK

Company:

Central Independent Television

Trivia:

Actor Gary Holton, who played Wayne Norris, died of a drugs overdose in 1985 while filming the second series, leading to a somewhat watered-down appearance in the last few episodes. As they had filmed all of the exterior scenes with Wayne in them but had not started any of the interior scenes, they decided to dress one of the production team in a wig to look like Wayne for backshots during indoor scenes to keep some form of continuity going. For many of the indoor scenes, he was written out entirely, and his presence was accounted for by explaining he was elsewhere at the time.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Drama Connections: Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (#1.1)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Breaking Away

True Grit Brit drama of excellence

Very few things capture a time and spirit as eloquently as this TV series. Germany is the setting for a band of 'brothers' fleeing the mass unemployment and uncertainty of Thatcher's Britain in search of work, money and hope. This TV series contains natural acting, pathos, humour and a gritty realism that manages to combine drama and comedy without an emphasis on sentimentality or bawdy laughs. The series chronicles the debacles of a motley crew of British workers uncertain about Germany, their lives and their futures. Promised a hostel with swimming pool, they end up in a barren hut with no amenities yet friendships are forged and a social life centered on Beck's Beer and brothels ensues. With a memorable soundtrack and performances from relatively unknown actors that inspire, their pursuits become a part of the viewers' lives in a way that very few modern TV series capture. Oz, Dennis, Moxey, Bomber, Barry, Neville and Wayne become personal friends of the viewing public along the way in this story of the working man, ordinary lives and extraordinary situations that although filmed over twenty years ago remain timeless.